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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L." H. GIBSON} FURNACE.

No, 247,902. Patented Oct 4, 1881.

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- -;2*Sheets-Sheet'2. L. H. GIBSON.

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Patented 10015 4,1881,

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

LOUIS H. GIBSON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FURNACE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,902, dated October 4, 1881.

Application filed April 23, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. GIBsoN, of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a furnace to the combustion-chamber of which air may be supplied in such quantities and under such conditions as will secure the most perfect combustion of the fuel, and consequently the greatest amount of heat therefrom. This object is accomplished by arranging the firespace and combustion-chamber so that access can be had thereto from several sides, and placing an air tube or conduit centrally therein, and arranging around the combustion-chamber several orifices, through which air may also be admitted, all as will hereinafter be more specifically set forth.

In order that this invention may be perfectly understood, it is perhaps well to state generally the theory of obtaining heat bycombustion in the most perfect manner. Air, when admit ted through the ash-pit, and thus brought in contact with a massof incandescent fuel on the grate, yields up its oxygen and combines with the carbon of the fuel, first, in the proper proportion to form carbonic acid, and then, in passing through the bed of ignited fuel, it takes up another equivalent of carbon, and the carbonic acid is converted into carbonic oxide. Supposing the heat-units of the net combustible when burned to carbonic acid to be fourteen thousand, when burned to carbonic oxide they would amouutto only aboutfour thousand, showing a net loss of about seventy per cent. The distribution of air above and below the fire is intended to counteract this loss by supplying air under the grate to cause the fixed carbon to be burned, and above it to supply the oxygen needed to reconvert this carbonic oxide into carbonic acid. Thus by means of a slower and more perfect combustion and a proper supply of air above the fuel the Waste or, loss above mentioned is, to a great extent, prevented.

My invention therefore consists 'in a con struction and application of devices which bring about this result in a superior manner, and to a degree approaching perfection.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

(N0 model.)

which are made a part hereof, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the furnace of a steam-boiler, the boiler being shown in elevation and the furnace being constructed with my improvements; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a horizontal section, looking downwardly from the dotted line w m in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a transverse vertical section, looking toward the upper side of Fig. 3 from the dotted line 3 y therein.

In said drawings,the portions marked A represent an ordinary steam-boiler B, the smokestack thereof; O,the'mud-drum thereto; D,the surrounding walls, (commonly of brick,) in which theboiler, 8210., are mounted; E, the walls of the combustion-chamber of the furnace; E, an outer casing surrounding said wall, and preferably provided with small doors 6 6 F, an airspace between the walls E and casin g E, which terminates at its lower end in an in wardly-projecting portion, F, which has a narrowopening communicating with-the combustion-chamber just at the top of fire-spaceor fuel-chamber; G, the fire-space; H, the doors thereto, through which fuel is admitted; I, the grate-bars; J, the ash-pit; K, the doors thereto; L, an air pipe or conduit having its outer end in the open air,

and. leading under and up through the grate to a point above the fuel, and preferably having a deflector,.L, attached thereto and located immediately above it; and M, an archway, constructed beneath the boiler, which serves the purpose of the ordinary bridge-wall, and is, in the construction shown, the means whereby access is permitted to every side of the furnace.

The combustion-chamberis, as willbe noticed,

.of very large size comparatively, which I consider an advantage, and the boiler is therefore situated at an unusual height from the ground.

The fire-space, ash-pit, and air-space all have several doors opening from their various sides, so that access may be had to any part of the furnace from all sides alike, and so that air may be admitted to all portions that may be desired, and the quantity regulated at will, either by means of the dampers in" the doors or by opening a greater or less number of the doors themselves.

The archway M is constructed hollow, as shown. The hollow communicates with the airspace F, and is provided with a small door or trap, m, whereby it may be utilized in heat ing the air for the combustion-chamber. The air which draws through the fuel, and by which the intensity of the fire is mainly regulated, comes through the doors of the ash-pit, as is usual'to such furnaces. The air which is admitted to the combustion-chamber above the fire comes through the air-space F and the tube L. In order that the heating-power may not be impaired by the entrance of this air, I prefer that it shall itself be heated before reaching the combustion-chamber, and therefore prefer to admit it to the space F through the doors 6 or opening m, whereby it is made to travel a considerable distance over heated surfaces rather than through the doors 0, which open almost directly into the combustion-ehamber. The pipe L, I prefer to carry up through the open space at the rear of the boiler, where it will be surrounded for a portion of its length by the products of combustion.

Any of the usual devices for forcing air may be used in connection with the pipe L and airspace F, should any artificial draft be necessary to supply the combustion-chamber with the proper quantity to carry out the purposes of this invention.

In connection with a large battery of boilers a long furnace extending transversely across them may be used instead of the circular form shown, and several of the pipes L arranged therein.

These details of construction are described to give general information respecting the methods of working my invention which I have contemplated; but as I expect to vary them considerably under different circumstances, 1 do not desire to be understood as confining myselfto them, but only to the general method of accomplishing the result.

This invention in proper form can be applied to stoves, meta-llurgic furnaces, and to heating purposes generally, as well as to steam-boilers.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a furnace constructed substantially as described, so that access may be had to the fire-space from every side thereof from the outside, openings upon all sides, as shown, through which fuel and air may be admitted from every direction, and a central pipe through which air may also be admitted, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

2. Thecornbination,withafurnace constructed as specified, of a hollow space, F, in the wall, terminating in the continuous surrounding airinlet F, and the central air-pipe, L, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a steam-boiler, a furnace therefor the firespace of which is separated from the rear portion thereof by an archway, as shown, whereby access is permitted to the back as well as the front side of said firespaee, all substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a furnace constructed as specified, a hollow arch having an airinlet aperture, an air-inlet, I and a central air-pipe, L, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 19th day of April, A. D. 1881.

LOUIS H. GIBSON. [L s.]

In presence of O. BRADFORD, N E. (J. WHITNEY. 

